A new beginning, or the beginning of the end?
by Debster'sDarkPassenger
Summary: My take on how season 8 should have gone. Very Debster. Rated M for Deb's mouth as well as later adult themes and scenes. My first fanfic, so please don't be too harsh. More chapters forthcoming.
1. Chapter 1

A New Beginning, Or the beginning of the End?

Beginning A/N:

I have been reading fan fiction for awhile, but this is my first attempt at posting a story, so I am somewhat unfamiliar with some aspects, so please bear with me.

I was overall unsatisfied with Dexter season 8, and the series finale in particular. This is my take on one way I think I should it could or should have ended. I'm planning on a lengthy multi-chapter or even multi-volume story. Very Debster oriented. This will be rated MA to be safe as there will probably be some mature scenes throughout.

As I said, this is my first attempt, so please don't be too harsh. Please Read and Review.

Picks up just after season 7 finale: "Surprise Motherfucker"

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, locations, or names within this story aside from any OC characters I introduce and the plot. It all belongs to to showtime, the writers, cast…etc of Dexter on showtime.

Chapter 1: New Year in Miami

She knows what Dexter is up to. She doesn't mind knowing her brother is about to murder Estradda, the man responsible for his mother's death, but she knows that with LaGuerta still suspicious of him, she knows it is too risky. More so now that LaGuerta is at the same shipping container dex has set up. She presses the throttle of her car to the floor, speeding through Miami as she frantically tries to reach Dex before it is too late.

Deb frantically looks at the phone, wanting to believe this isn't happening. She has sent messages to her brother almost as fast as she is driving. She can't help but hope she can get to him in time.

The light ahead of her flashes red and she forces the brakes to the floor, sending the small sedan careening to a stop just in time. She uses the time to send a message to Dexter. Furiously, she types: "Dex!LaGuerta's onto you, get the hell outta there now!" and hits the send button with more force than it needs. As the light flashes to green she floors the gas and lets out a scream of frustration.

Ten minutes later, she nears the containers. Seeing the gate locked, she decides to drive straight through the old gate and braces herself. As She goes through the now ruined gate, she slams the brakes and turns the wheel, skidding to a stop behind Dexter's SUV and Laguerta's car. She grabs her gun out of the passenger seat and throws the door open, hearing a gunshot from inside one container as she does. "Jesus Fuck Dexter," she says under her breath as she sprints to the container the shot came from, everything around blurs in her vision as she realizes tears are beginning to flow. She reaches the container just as another shot goes off, and wrenches the door open, going inside gun first. Within a split second, she sees Dexter is wearing his kill suit, holding a gun. Estradda is dead on the floor and LaGuerta is slumped against the wall of the container, apparently unconscious.

"Shit Dex," she says, unable to hide the tremor in her voice, "I..Is she…?"

"Deb, you should go," he says as he grabs a knife.

At this moment, LaGuerta looks up and sees Debra standing in the door, gun aimed at Dexter. Everything becomes a blur of emotions as Deb tries to choose between doing the right thing or saving her brother. Distantly, almost numbly, she hears a gunshot.

"AAAAHHHH!" Deb screams as she jerks awake, limbs thrashing in confusion at the unfamiliar surroundings. Someone reaches a hand out to calm her and she flinches away, bashing her head on a window as she does. Once the pain clears, she realizes she is in the passenger seat of a car, driving quietly down a well-lit street lined with shops and clubs. She looks over to see Dexter driving. Thankfully he had enough sense to change into normal clothes.

"Where are we?" she asks blearily.

Not waiting for a response, she begins to look for the nearest street sign.

"On our way to Angel's new year's party," Dexter says quietly.

"Why?"She asks, wondering what he would say.

"We need an alibi," he says bluntly as he turns onto a side street.

"Then why haven't we gone straight there?" She asks as she realizes they've gone a long way out of the way.

"All the clubs and shops have cameras as well as witnesses that place us far away from the shipping docks, this way we can show where we were before we get to Angel's restaurant," he says in his usual calm voice.

"Oh," is all she can say. She quietly stares out the window at the lights that flash by every few feet. After several more turns, she can see the fireworks over the harbor as midnight nears. After a few minutes she exclaims, "SHIT! What about my car!?"

"Don't worry about it."

Several minutes later they arrive at the restaurant and mingle with the guests. The make a beeline for the bar together. Dexter and Deb take stools next to each other and call for drinks. Within seconds, Deb is downing shots while Dexter declines.

"Everybody get Ready!" Angel's voice cuts over the noise as midnight approaches. On the TVs around the room, scenes from New York show different views of the ball that's about to drop. Nearly everyone raises their glasses as the countdown starts. At first, Angel counts alone, but as the countdown reaches ten, everyone takes it up together.

"10! 9! 8!..." loudly and in unison as the ball descends. Deb doesn't count with the others. As each number is shouted, she punctuates the uproar by downing another shot.

"3! 2! 1!..." As the ball is now dropped, everyone lets out a loud whoop, even Deb, as everyone loudly start wishing each other Happy New Year's.

An hour later, they finally escape the well wishers and make their way to Dexter's SUV, Deb stumbling behind. As the door closes behind her, Deb pulls out a small drink from her purse and drinks it in one gulp, grimacing at the taste. Within minutes, she seems more alert and awake than before.

"What was that?" Dexter asks, voice tinged with curiosity.

"A little something to counteract all the alcohol," she says quietly.

"what's in it?"

"It's a secret"

He leaves it at that as he starts the engine, assuring Deb he'll drop her home in under twenty minutes.

"No," she says with an edge of panic to her voice, "I don't want to be alone."

"Ok, My place then," He says as he shifts into gear and begins to drive towards his apartment.

Ending A/N:

Hope this is good so far. I will try to get chapters up and start the story moving forward as soon as Possible.

Please Read and review.


	2. Chapter 2

A new beginning or the beginning of the end?

By Debster'sDarkPassenger

Beginning A/N:

Thanks for the positive review! As far as what's in the drink, it's a secret. We'll see when she runs out and needs more. This second chapter will hopefully get the story into high gear. The title, in case anyone is wandering, came from the last episode of season 7, after Deb kills laGuerta and they are walking through the crowd and Dexter thinks "Is this a new beginning, or the beginning of the end." Apparently, It was the beginning of the shitty ending.

To the readers, I'm looking for a beta reader, so if anyone is interested, please send me a message.

I appreciate reviews and ratings, thanks.

CHAPTER 2: The calm before the storm.

Deb and Dexter say nothing during the drive to his apartment, each lost within their thoughts. He knows they will be called in at some point when the bodies are discovered, and wanders how everyone will react. He is conscious of the widespread knowledge of LaGuerta's attempted "Framing" of him not too long before, and worries that more people will begin looking into him. He resolves to convince them that the "real" Bay Harbor Butcher killed her in anger over her misidentification if anyone asks questions. He doubts it will come to that, however, as everyone knows she got Estradda out of jail to bait him. Hopefully they will assume that she tried to bring him back in and he didn't want to go.

Suddenly, the light ahead flashes straight from green to red. "Shit!" he says as he slams the brakes, stopping his SUV at the last instant.

"Fuck Dex!" Deb exclaims.

"What?" he asks, "It wasn't my fault."

"No, not that," she says with a hint of mischief in her voice, "I just haven't heard you swear in a long time."

"Sorry," he tells her.

"Don't be, I kinda like it," she replies, "Do it again."

"Swear? Why?"

"Just do it, you never swear like normal people do."

"Ummm…fuck," he says tentatively, looking at her from the corner of his eye to gauge her reaction. He is surprised to see her looking at him intently, her expression a mix of pride and…hunger?

"There you go," she says affectionately, "My big brother finally swears."

He can't help but give her a small smile as the light flashes to green. _How does she so easily break my calmness? _He wanders. Ten minutes later they pull into his customary parking space. The grab their bags and lock the doors. They go up the stairs and Dexter unlocks his apartment, letting Deb in before closing the door behind them. He goes straight to his fridge as she changes from her dress to more normal clothes before flopping in an armchair, knees on the arm and heels bouncing against the side as she grabs a box of take-out from earlier and the remote. She begins wolfing it down as she searches for something decent to watch.

"I've got steaks and beer leftover if you want em," Dexter calls from behind the fridge, the sounds of clanking bottles emanating from within.

"Just a beer," she shouts back around a mouthful of noodles.

He grabs a couple of beers, not wanting to make the trip for refills later. He sits on the floor by her chair and cracks open the beers, holding one up for her to grab. Her hand brushes his ear as she reaches for it. As she begins to bring her beer to her lips, the bottle accidental smacks him in the head. She gasps and says sorry before bending over to kiss the pained spot on his head. He freezes in surprise as he feels her lips, mind racing. Surprisingly, he likes the feeling.

"There isn't a Fucking thing to watch," she sighs belatedly, tossing the remote onto the couch.

He doesn't respond, so they just continue drinking through the awkward silence. After several minutes, he hears her take a deep breath and break the silence.

"Dex, can we talk?" she asks tentatively.

"Sure."

"I…I don't know how to say this," she says, turning to face him.

"What?"

"Dexter…I…Remember when I said I didn't just love you, that I was in…in love with you?"

"Of course," he replies, thinking he knows where this conversation is going.

"Dexter, I…I'm still in love with you, and after earlier, I realized how much. I realized that I want you to be safe and in my life and…and…I WANT you," she says, throwing an emotional emphasis on the last want.

He looks at her in surprise, not knowing what to say as his mind races to find a reply. _Do I feel the same? _He thinks. _Do I want her? She's my sister._ To which a small voice in his head forcefully replies _YES!_

She takes his silence as confusion over her words and decides she needs to be clearer. She leans down to grab the back of his head, arms around his neck, hands grasping fistfuls of his hair as she pulls him into a deep kiss. After a slight hesitation, his mouth opens under hers and her tongue rockets in to explore her newly conquered territory. He hesitates only a second before he does the same. After a few minutes, the need for oxygen forces them to separate. She looks into his eyes and sees something flicker then fill his gaze…she sees hunger.

"I'm in love with you," she says huskily, breathing quickly and raggedly, "do you feel the same?"

He doesn't answer immediately, but as he sees hurt begin to enter his eyes, he lunges forward to capture her mouth into a more passionate kiss. He gently nibbles her lower lip before proceeding to her collarbone with a low growl. His lips slowly journey up her neck to her cheeks, lips, and finally the sensitive skin just below her left ear. She sighs and lets out a low moan, apparently satisfied with his unspoken answer. They both stand, hands exploring each other as he turns her towards the bedroom. They begin their journey towards his bed, bumping into everything between the chair and the door, nearly knocking over a lamp. As they move into the room, they break their kiss long enough for him to close the door. They rush together, intent on continuing this new and exciting experience. They kick off their shoes as he backs her against one wall. They realize they haven't reached their intended destination, but are too consumed in the heat of the moment to care. Her lower body surges forward as she grinds her hips into his forcefully. She feels his reaction to her writhing movements against her thigh as he growls with the effort of restraint. She moans into his mouth, throwing all of her need and emotion into their kiss.

Her hands stray from his hair to his shirt. He sees what her intentions are and rushes to help her. He rips off his shirt, tearing the fabric in his haste. She moves her hands to his chest, exploring the now revealed skin before gripping his back, her fingers leaving trails of white hot flame as they pass. He draws his body away slightly, causing her to groan in dismay until she feels his hands at the top of her shirt, struggling with the tiny buttons. She smiles through their kiss before growling "Just tear it." He needs no more coaxing as he tears the shirt off of her body, causing the buttons of her blouse to cascade around their bodies. She breaks their kiss to throw her undershirt off before engaging their mouths in another dance of passion.

His hands explore her exposed flesh just as she had done to him. He controls himself and keeps his ministrations gentle as he teases along her ribs, ghosting towards those two places she wants him to feel before rushing away just as they are near, causing her to moan and press against him harder. Finally, as she can't stand it anymore, he moves his hands up and cups one breast before she can take matters into her own hands. As he does, he is dismayed to find that they are still obscured by her bra. He leans back slightly to view it and takes in her breasts and the navy blue lace that covers them.

"Fuck Dex," she whispers, more than a trace of desire and need escaping with her words, "Do it, Fuck me. Take me, take me now, I want it," she punctuates these words with a playful hand on his front before flicking up and into his jeans. He gasps and throws back his head in ecstasy as she grasps him in a fist. His entire world explodes in an array of vibrant colors as she begins moving her fist up and down along him. He lets out a growl and undoes her bra, seeing her bare breasts for the first time. He takes a moment to admire her figure before diving in to grasp one nipple in his mouth, gently nipping it as one hand reaches to knead and roll the other. His other hand flies to the back of her head, taking a handful of her hair as he slams his lips to hers. She lets out a moan and smiles through the kiss as she withdraws her hand from him in order to get at his belt. She just gets it off when suddenly the doorbell of his apartment rings loudly. They stop for a moment then decide to ignore it as he picks her up against the wall. She wraps her legs tightly around him while furiously grinding her hips into him. Suddenly the doorbell rings again, accompanied by loud knocking. They regretfully break apart as he turns to answer the door with a groan of regret.

Debra looks down at herself, then rushes to the restroom in order to hide her flushed face and nude body, grabbing their clothes on the way.

Dexter opens the door and is immediately met with a hug around his legs and a loudly exclaimed "DAAAAADDDDYYYYYYY!"

"Hey buddy," he replies before thanking the babysitter and paying her an extra hundred dollars since its new years.

He quietly takes his once-again tired son to his room and tucks him in.

"Goodnight Daddy."

"Goodnight buddy," he says quietly before closing the door.

He returns to his room, closing and locking the door behind him. Debra comes back out of the restroom in the night shorts she keeps stashed in his closet for the nights she stays over, but otherwise nude.

"Who was it?" she asks.

"The babysitter brought Harrison home," he replies, "He's in his bed."

"At one fucking thirty in the morning?" She asks, "Why the fucking fuck…never mind, I'm tired," she declares before flopping under his sheets.

He doesn't even attempt to start their intimacies again as he slides beneath the sheets next to her. She turns on her side to face him and scoots against his warmth, throwing one leg over his and pressing her bodies to his warmth, her breasts teasing him.

"Goodnight," she says quietly before giving him a kiss that he returns.

"Goodnight," he replies, and he means it.

Together they drift off to sleep, both happy and neither questioning their new connection.

Ending A/N

Phew, not sure whether that was too fast or not, and if so, I apologize. I always felt that any Debater pairings would explode suddenly rather than slowly. It was my first adult scene, and I tried to make it meaningful and full of emotion rather than rough pornography. Hope it wasn't too disappointing. As always, please read and review. I plan on throwing in some crime solving and maybe a new serial killer into the mix in the next few chapters.

Until next time,

Debster'sDarkPassenger.


	3. Chapter 3

A new beginning, o the beginning of the end?

By: Debster'sDarkPassenger

Beginning A/N:

I think the last chapter was a success. I tried to make a good adult scene and avoid too much smut, and I hope everyone liked it. The story hasn't really started rolling yet, but the last chapter was named "The calm before the storm" after all. Hope everyone likes this one. Please read and review, thanks.

Chapter 3: How did this happen?

Something is bouncing on Dexter's legs. He blearily bats an arm at it, hoping it will stop. Whatever it is exclaims in surprise, but stops bouncing. He sighs softly as he begins to sleep again, feeling Deb pressed against him.

Suddenly the bouncing started again, accompanied by the sound of a phone ringing. Dexter jerks awake suddenly, startling Debra awake as well. He opens his eyes to see Harrison bouncing on his legs, waving his no longer ringing phone in his face.

"Good morning Harrison," he says tiredly, "Aren't you up early huh."

"Your phone started ringing daddy, it started ringing and ringing and ringing and I brought it to you," he says cheerfully, excited that he could help his dad answer the phone.

"Thanks buddy," Dexter replies, trying to sound proud, "You did well."

"Thanks daddy," he says as he begins to hop off the bed. He barely stands when he sees Deb peeking at him from under the covers. "AUNTY DEB!" He exclaims joyously as he hops over to give her his biggest hug through the covers.

"Hey there kiddo!" she says, somehow managing to sound excited.

"Were you hiding to surprise me Aunty Deb," he asks. Suddenly, he remembers what day it is and shouts "Happy New Year!"

"No buddy," she replies uncomfortably, "I was just tired from the new years party and fell asleep."

"Ok Aunty Deb," he says, slightly crestfallen. Seeing his look of dismay she tells him, "Give me a minute kiddo and I'll make you some pancakes."

"PANCAKES!" he yells, full of excitement as he rushes to the kitchen, promising to get everything ready as he goes.

"Wow, when did he start talking like that?"

"Preschool," replies Dexter as he flips through his missed calls, suddenly intent. She sees his expression change and is instantly sobered by his look.

"What is…"

"Angel, Quinn, Dispatch, and Mathews have all left messages…a lot of messages. I think they…" he trails off, knowing she understands.

"Shitfuck, call them back. Could you keep him occupied while I get dressed?" she says with a nod towards the open bedroom door.

He nods as he dials the most recent number on his phone, Angel's. He hears the ringing on the other end of the line as he throws on a shirt and shoes, planning on a shower later. As he leaves the bedroom, he looks back to see Deb looking at him. He mouths a quick "I love you" before closing the door softly behind him.

He walks to the kitchen, telling Harrison he'll be there to help with pancakes in a moment. He notes the time, 7:23, as he steps out onto his balcony. He hears the phone being answered, and doesn't have time to say hello before his ears are overwhelmed by a sobbing Angel.

"Dexter," he says, his accent thick with pain, "I've been trying to reach you and Debra for an hour."

"Wha-"

"It's Maria, she's been killed. She and Estradda are dead," he sobs, "We need you two down here as fast as you can."

"Alright, where are you?" he asks.

"Down at the shipping docks, you can't miss us. Every Uni in Miami is down here."

"We're on our way, we'll be there in about an hour," he assures the grieving man.

"Thanks Dexter."

He turns and goes inside, thinking he will have to skip the shower for the time being. As he walks in, his eyes flick to the still closed bedroom door before turning his gaze back to the kitchen. He lets out a slightly amused chuckle as he sees his son struggle to reach the pancake mix at the top of the pantry.

"Harrison," he says, forcing a smile, "I'll help you."

He grabs the pancake mix, syrup, and three plates from the shelves and sets them on the counter. He turns to the fridge, grabbing the milk and orange juice and a pan from the nearby cabinet.

"Thank-you daddy," Harrison says as he reaches for the mix.

"Not so fast Harrison," he snaps before relaxing, "we have to wait for Aunt Deb."

"Ok daddy," Harrison replies, voice downcast.

"Daddy has to go to work today," He says.

"Whyyyy!?" wails Harrison.

"Some bad guy did some bad things."

"Like what?"

He is spared from having to form a reply as Debra comes out of the bedroom, dressed in a spare set of work clothes she keeps here in case of emergencies. _She certainly does have a lot of clothes here._ He thinks to himself as he takes her in. _ She looks good in blue. Ugh, why am I thinking about that at a time like this?_ She moves to the kitchen as Harrison turns around and sees her.

"AUNTY DEB!" he exclaims as she grabs him in a hug, "Can we make pancakes?"

"Sure kiddo," she replies cheerfully, Dexter can tell it's forced, but Harrison takes it as genuine as he reaches for the mix. She looks into his eyes, asking that one unspoken question: _ LaGuerta?_ He simply nods.

"Let's make this fast then kiddo."

"Ok."

Half an hour and a spilled glass of milk later, and Dexter has left Harrison with a neighbor for the day, promising generous pay for the trouble. Dexter and Debra rocket down the street towards the shipping docks, using Debra's plug-in police light to clear traffic.

"You got that out of my car?"

"Yes."

"Where is my car?"

"It's at your house."

They say nothing the rest of the drive. They pull up to the police line at what remains of the front gate, taking notice of the dozens of uniformed officers milling around and keeping back bystanders. They look at each other and silently agree to follow each other's lead before masking their emotions. _ She learned how to do that quickly, _he thinks, _I just wish she never had to._

Together the two of them step out of his SUV and move towards the crime scene. As the officers move to stop them, she flashes her badge and he flashes his laminate. The three officers all step aside and one holds the tape up for them as they rush forward towards the group of familiar faces near one container. As they reach the gathering, they don't have time to speak, or even properly stop walking before Angel rushes forward and captures them both in a bear hug.

"Thank you so much for coming," he says as he sobs into their shoulders, "Gracias friends, gracias."

"It's Ok angel," Deb says, rubbing his back in sympathy, "what happened?"

"It's Maria, sh-…she's been…she's been murdered," he finally sobs out.

As he releases them from his hug, he tearfully says, "Please help me catch the bastard responsible," before turning away.

They both look at each other before rushing towards the container with the most activity. As they near the container, Debra is intercepted by Quinn while Dexter gets blocked by Mathews. As Quinn moves Deb aside for a private word, Mathews begins talking to Dexter.

"Dexter, I know you and Maria had your problems, but I want you to do your absolute best job in there, ok?"

"I will. Damn, I was hoping to speak to her today and patch things up between us. Maybe set aside our differences and make a new start for the New Year or something."

"You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that Dexter," he replies, "Although I don't think it would have worked. Even though we proved Doakes was guilty, she still thought…well, let's not get into all that, your heart was in the right place, that's all that matters. And since when do you swear?" he asks, suddenly curious.

"Since today, Debra made me promise to swear more this year, away from Harrison of course, she said something about people not believing we're related," he lies easily. _ And who knows, It might could be a way for us to connect more._

"I believe it," he chuckles softly before sobering again, "Now you just get in there and do the best damn job you can ok."

"You got it."

Dexter collects Deb, who has finished her conversation with Quinn. As they move towards the container, he pulls his bag more securely onto his shoulder and looks at her.

"I'll tell you later."

He nods as they move inside the container to find Masuka and Miller already inside. Debra covers her mouth and whirls around, shaking upon seeing LaGuerta's body. _Nice touch_ he thinks _though she may not be faking._

"What have we got?" he asks.

"LaGuerta and Estradda, both deceased, gunshot wounds apparently," Says Masuka in a businesslike voice. _For once, no wisecracks, or is he just hung-over_. Vince does seem to have a headache.

"They both had guns in their hands," Miller throws in, "rounds missing from her magazine and his cylinders, casings found seem to match, although we would need to perform a ballistics test to be sure."

Dexter nods silently and bends to set his bag in a corner, retrieving his camera before turning back towards the scene. He begins his meticulous examination, commenting his results as he goes.

"Large spray patterns and slight spurting on this wall indicate that Estradda was shot once while standing. There appear to be two gunshot wounds in his chest, and the pooling would suggest that he was shot again after having collapsed. Judging by the amount of pooled blood, he may have been moving as he lay here. Angle of the wounds may have allowed the rounds to hit his spine, paralyzing him from the point of impact and below. Tissue damage seems consistent with a .45 ACP bullet. If the coagulation patterns are consistent, as they appear to be, then both rounds hit him within seconds."

He glances up at Masuka to see him nodding his agreement before moving on to LaGuerta.

"LaGuerta seems to have been shot with a higher caliber weapon, likely a large revolver, from a downward angle. The spray and spatter patterns on the ceiling and roof suggest that the bullet may have been deflected internally. Exit wound is inconsistent with the angle of the entry wound, this is evidence of deflection. The pooling patterns show that her heart was not beating at the time of collapse, which suggest she was killed almost instantly."

"So, LaGuerta and Estradda meet here for some reason, maybe LaGuerta wants him locked up again, he disagrees. He pulls his gun and LaGuerta does the same. She gets her shot off first, causing him to go down. She trains her weapon on him, perhaps planning an arrest. He quickly raises his weapon and fires once, killing her instantly or near-instantly. She pulls her trigger by reflex or muscle spasm, causing her weapon to shoot him again."

"That sounds pretty accurate to me," Masuka replies, "although I was thinking that maybe she shot him twice. I wouldn't have thought of reflex."

"Were there any witnesses," Dexter asks cautiously.

"Yeah, one. Blind homeless man trying to fish says he heard 3 gunshots. No other witnesses; and he obviously didn't see anything. I wander how he could fish."

"Alright then, I'll uh, I'll go tell Angel."

"Amigo," Angel calls as soon as I exit the container, Deb on my heels, apparently he was waiting for me, "What can you tell me?"

"It seems Estradda pulled his gun, but LaGuerta was faster. After she shot him once, she didn't think he was a threat, but…After Estradda….she got another shot off by reflex."

"Are you sure it was him, maybe…"

"I'm sure. Angel, I know LaGuerta and I weren't on the best of terms for the past few weeks, but I was going to try to make things right, only now…now all I can do to make it right is do my best job to find out the truth."

"Thanks Amigo," Angel says, tears running down his cheeks, "but you'll check again right? Just to be sure."

"Yes Angel," Deb cuts in, "just…can you give us a moment please, we still can't believe it."

"I understand, and thanks."

They move off away from the others, passing stunned officers and investigators as they make their way to the far end of the docks, near the waterfront.

"Fuck Dexter, what are we going to do?"

"Nothing, We'll just do our jobs. Masuka and Miller thought the two shot each other also, we're clear."

"Ok Ok, I'm, just nervous is all. I need a beer."

"I'll get you some on the way home, my place or yours?"

"Yours, I don't feel like climbing mount fucking laundry."

"Ok, by the way, what was Quinn talking about? He seemed agitated."

"He said he wanted to meet up, said he had some things he wanted to get off his chest about his days in narcotics, and something about that Nadia woman he met during our investigation after Mike's death."

"Alright, we should head back now. I'll go over the scene a few more times for Angel's benefit, you see if you can find any more witnesses."

"You want me to find witnesses?"

"Yes, and alter their stories if you find any. And try not to act too normal for today."

"Fine, you're the expert on acting fake emotions. Shit Dex, where did you learn that anyway? Dad was never any fucking good at masking his emotions, not like this. Even when mom was sick, he would try…and do a piss poor fucking job."

"I don't really know. I kinda remember seeing some doctor about it, but the memories are distant and fuzzy. We should head back now."

They made their way back towards the crime scene, stopping just out of sight to exchange a small kiss.

"See you in a few hours," he says huskily.

"Can't wait."

They both move back into the chaos, unaware of the man watching with binoculars, knife in his boot.

Several hours later, Dexter, Masuka, and Miller went over the scene again and again, even going so far as to call techs from a the crime lab of neighboring collier county, but the only came to the same conclusion. Debra attempted to chase down any witnesses, but only found the one blind witness, Francesco, who confirmed his story of hearing three gunshots and nothing else. When asked why he hadn't called the police at the time, he claimed he didn't own a cell phone. His claim was corroborated by his family. No other witnesses were around, not surprising considering the time of death was estimated to be around 11:00 PM the night before, while most people were at one New Year's party or another.

She did happen upon a few street thugs buying drugs from a previously unknown dealer; these were arrested and sent to MMPD for booking.

As they began to pack their supplies, they stood aside with the others as the coroner took the bodies to the morgue, Angel riding along, All of the uniformed officers and detectives saluted Maria's body as it passed, as well as the lab techs, and spat on Estrada's, something that didn't bother Dexter in the least. _Better than he deserves, He should be in bits, floating along the Gulf Stream by now,_ Thought Dexter.

Dexter and Debra began to make their way towards his SUV; but they are sidetracked by Mathews, now wearing a detective's badge.

"Thanks for taking the time to come out here," he said to them, but focusing on Dexter, "It would have made Maria feel better to know you still cared enough to find the truth even after what she did."

_Except the truth is that Debra shot her, and I'm the reason it happened._

"Good to know, I just wish we could have patched things up before, I feel so guilty that she died before we could," said Dexter.

"She wasn't the best boss," said Debra, "but she didn't deserve this. We should be able to do more. I almost wish he had gotten away so that we could hunt him down."

"Well, anyway, it's been a long day, go home and get some rest. Maria's funeral services will be soon. You both look really tired, take the week off, I'll call if we need you."

"You're captain now?" Debra asks, noticing his new badge properly for the first time.

"Yeah, they wanted you Deb, but you haven't taken the captain's exam so…" he trails off, "Besides, I'm only here till I can get my forty year pension, so you should take that exam. Anyway, go home and rest, we'll talk in a week."

Together, they hopped into Dexter's SUV and pulled away from the crime scene, driving back toward his apartment lethargically. Neither has much to say, each lost in their thoughts.

As they finally clear the area of the last patrol cars, Deb lets out a sigh of relief.

"Dex, I can't believe how that went."

"Same here," he says.

"Dexter, you see how risky that is; you have to lay low for awhile."

"Deb, I-"

"You HAVE to," she says with an emphasis on her words.

"Deb, I've decided to try to stop."

"No, Dex I- What?"

"I think I can quit. My whole life has been spent trying to make the world right, and after killing Estradda, I feel like I can finally do that. I realized how my actions were also hurting innocents and…" he stops, not sure how to continue.

"Dexter, I…I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," he mumbles.

"Let's head home, and talk some more."

"Yeah, we have a lot to talk about."

The drive back to Dexter's apartment seemed to pass in a blur, as each was absorbed in their thoughts, trying to figure out what to say to the other. They stop by Deb's house for a moment so that she can pack some clothes and get her car before they continue on to the apartment. They pull into the small parking area near the apartment together and happen to find spaces next to each other. They get out and grab their bags, Dexter rushing to help Debra with hers.

"Dex, I've got it," she complains, "I don't need help."

He overrides her protests as he grabs the largest bag before rushing away and up the stairs, keys in hand. She watches him go with a small smile of amusement before muttering "Fucking sneak" as she scoops the rest of her bags into her arms, closing and locking her sedan as she rushes to catch him. She rushes up behind him as they near the apartment, expecting to dart past him and into the apartment, however, he has stopped in his tracks, causing her to run into him and fall backwards, dropping her bags in the process.

"What the fuck Dex?"

He says nothing, just pointing towards his door. She peeks between his legs to see a single spotted orchid outside his door.

"What about it," she asks.

"Hannah," is all he says. It's all he needs to say.

"Shit, let's go ahead and get inside then. And we're ordering take-out."

He only nods as he opens the apartment to let her in, carefully skirting the plant as he moves for the dropped bags. As they go inside, he leaves Deb's bags by his desk as he pulls out his phone. He dials the number for the babysitter, he asks her to watch Harrison tonight and tomorrow, and after several "pleases" and a promise of a large bonus, she agrees. Meanwhile, Debra has unpacked and stashed her things in his guest room before excavating his kitchen for a take-out menu. Not finding one, she grabs her keys, telling him "We'll talk when I get back," before heading out to get them some food. _And probably some beer too_ he thinks.

_Hannah's out of Prison. This is not good._

"She's resourceful son; you knew that when you met her," Harry says from the armchair, "what do you think she'll do?"

"I don't know," Dexter replies, "probably go after Deb when she finds out…"

"About that," Harry says, expression suddenly intense, "what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I…I don't know, it's all confused."

"That's the most human thing I've ever heard you say. And at least you're honest. Do you love her?"

"Yes"

"You do, but can you? Can you love her without wanting to change her, without bringing her down? Can you tame the monster for her?"

"Yes, I have to."

Harry nods, apparently satisfied with Dexter's replies.

_Of course he's satisfied; he only comes from my mind after all._

"I'm surprised you're not angry," Dexter says, "I thought you might be."

"I should be, perhaps would be if…" he trails off.

"If what?"

"If I hadn't seen it coming years ago. When I first brought you home, and the two of you saw each other for the first time…" he trails off again, appearing lost in thought, before continuing, "When you two saw each other for the first time, I was worried you would hate each other," he chuckles, "but instead, you two ran and hugged the moment we let you go."

"I don't remember that."

"Of course you don't, you were three. Anyway, since then, you two have been nearly inseparable, always running to each other with your problems or fears. Most children run to their parents when they have a nightmare or something, you two ran to each other. Doris saw it too, she would be happy to know you two are in love, although how she would react to…" he trails off again, giving Dexter a pointed look.

Dexter thinks back through his years as a Morgan and can tell it's true. They always did feel safe together, like they could do anything in the world. He doesn't know what to say.

"No, Dexter, I'm not angry. I hope, for both your sakes, you can keep yourself under control."

"I think I can stop," Dexter says, enjoying the look of shock on Harry's face

"Stop, are you sure? I tried everything, the doctor and I both did. After all these years, what makes you think you can stop now."

"Deb"

Harry says nothing, he just sits and looks at Dexter for several minutes before saying, "Stop, for Deb? I believe it." He looks out of the window, craning his neck to see from his chair, "She's back."

Dexter moves to the window to see out, sure enough, Debra is getting out of her car, carrying several bags. He turns back to say something to Harry, only to see he is gone. _Gone, just like that. If only my Dark Passenger were so easy to lose._

He waits patiently for Deb to reach his door before he rushes over to open it, letting her inside along with a small flood of plastic bags. She sets them all on the counter and looks at him pointedly until he closes the door and moves to grab plates.

"Hope you like Burger King," she says, "It was the only fucking thing open."

"It's fine," he says, putting two burgers on his plate, and two on hers. She opens another bag and pulls two beers out of it before stashing the rest of the bags in the fridge.

_Did she get food? Probably nothing but beer_, Dexter thinks as he grabs one and leads her to his living room. Together they drop onto his couch, mouths already full of food. He reaches for the remote, but Deb beats him to it and flicks on the TV. The first channel on the screen is the local news station covering LaGuerta's death. They get a brief glimpse of themselves at the crime scene before the channel is hastily turned. After several minutes of channel flipping, they settle on an HBO show about thrones. The description doesn't mention much, just something about a wedding.

The show seems good, but their minds keep wandering. Both thinking about the other, their close proximity becoming more and more prominent in their thoughts. After a few minutes, Deb breaks the silence first.

"Dexter, what are we going to do?"

"Do about what?"

"This, Us." She says, gesturing between them.

"I haven't really thought about it."

"Well you better start. Last night you killed someone, I killed someone, we almost fucked, and today, we both lied our fucking brains out about all of it."

"Well, the lying will probably have to continue, at least, about the killing part. The almost part though…I don't know."

"Do you want to stop?"

"No! I mean…I….Do you?"

"No, I don't. I meant what I said last night."

"So did I."

"And what's this about trying to stop?"

"I'll deal with it."

"You better not be lying."

"I'm not."

"I know it won't be right away, bu-…"

"It's ok Deb, I'll deal with it."

"Ok then," she says with a yawn, "I'm too tired anyway."

Just then he realizes that they've eaten all their food, emptied their beers, and that night has fallen.

"Come on, let's go to bed. Just bed."

He nods before turning off the TV. He walks into the bedroom, noticing that Deb has gone into the restroom. _So much for that shower, _he thinks as he kicks off his shoes and strips for sleep. He slides under the covers in nothing but boxers and night pants, and just manages to get settled when Deb comes out of the restroom, dressed much the same as the night before, albeit wearing longer night shorts.

"Like what you see?" she asks playfully. He realizes he is staring and quickly looks away.

"Yes."

She says nothing as she gets under the covers next to him, pressing herself against his body. He wraps one arm around her to pull her closer, reveling in the feel of her body against his.

"Are we going to fast?" she asks, voice tinged with worry.

"No," he replies, "but we can take it more slowly if you want."

"It's just, what will we tell everyone?"

"Why not the truth?"

Her eyes widen as he speaks. "Tell them the truth? What will people think?"

"What will people think if they find out on their own?"

"Who gives a fuck?"

"Exactly."

She chuckles softly before nodding against him. She runs her hands up his chest.

"Goodnight," she says, kissing his cheek.

"Goodnight," he replies as the both fall into a deep sleep.

Ending A/N

Phew, that one was about double the length of the previous chapters. I hope I didn't overdo or under do any of it. I wanted this chapter to cover Dexter's cover up of LaGuerta's death. At the point after they left the scene, I am reasonably sure that they both are going to try to move on and act normal. As far as Debra not becoming a total train wreck over it, well, she now knows that Dexter returns her feelings in the same way, and she's hoping that it might go somewhere. Dexter's statement that he may be able to stop also went a long way toward helping her not break down. I think that since he more or less became a serial killer after his mother's death, that finally killing Estradda, the last man left who is responsible, as well as his and Deb's feelings for each other should be enough to give him cause to stop killing…over time.

You may be thinking that they ought to be more worried about Hannah than they are, or at least Deb should, but at the moment, they have the bigger issue of their feelings for each other. I'll cover more Hannah worries in the next chapter, as well as let Quinn and Masuka have more prominence. Angel won't be around much early on, but we'll gradually see more.

To those of you who noticed the Man watching them while they were at the crime scene, it's not what you think...at least not entirely. Also, I don't know if anyone noticed the Game of Thrones reference in there. It may be chronologically inaccurate, but it's supposed to be the red wedding episode. I wanted to make a subtle allusion to how love can cause harm later. If you're not aware of how it's supposed to make sense, just know that Robb stark loved the girl, then watch the episode.

Please read and review. Sorry if this chapter wasn't up to expectations, my writing classes have told me to write "from the heart" and so far it seems to be working. I'm also in the market for beta reader, so if anyone is interested, please send me a message, thanks.

Until next time,

Debster'sDarkPassenger.


	4. Chapter 4

A new beginning or the beginning of the End?

By: Debster'sDarkPassenger

Beginning A/N:

I hope everyone enjoyed the last chapter. It was fun to write, and I hope it did an adequate job of moving the story forward. Anyways, this chapter doesn't pick up with Debster right away. Please read and review.

Chapter 4: Sometimes the past doesn't want to let go.

The two men met in a poorly lit parking garage near the Miami football stadium. Neither got out of their vehicle, instead lowering their tinted windows just enough to speak to each other.

"Seems you were right Mr. Detective man, the two Morgan's seem to be an item," says one man from his car, voice holding scorn, "but I can take care of the brother easy enough, as long as you can pay."

"I can pay," the other snaps, "but you said they were an item, are you sure?"

"O' course I'm sure," the first man sneers, "why, what's it to you, you want him gone or not?"

"It's nothing anymore," he replies softly, "No, I want them both gone now."

"Both the man AND the woman? That'll cost you extra."

"Name your price."

"Five large…each"

"Done, you get half now," he replies, tossing a bag of cash onto the other's hood, "the rest when it's done."

"You got it."

"I'll be watching the news, I'll meet you here after."

"Done."

The second man drives away, allowing the first to get his license plate down as he reaches out and grabs the money. He opens his computer, already tapped into the local police database, and searches the plate number, instantly getting a hit.

"Well, well, well, aren't we a dirty detective."

Meanwhile, Hannah McKay is searching through security camera footage, hoping to catch a glimpse of Dexter. She happened to steal this footage from the cameras around the shipping docks, as well as the cameras themselves. She chuckles softly as she sees him simply walk past all the police into his own crime scene. She fast forwards a bit to see him come back out, but accidentally goes too far.

Before she can rewind it, she sees him and his sister walking back from further into the shipping docks and stops to watch, curious. She sees them stop out of sight of the others and…her jaw drops in shock…kiss? _ Are they? Yes, oh my god they are._ She thinks as a cold fury fills her to the core.

She flings the laptop away, smashing it against the opposite wall of the hotel room she has rented. Too stunned, angry, and hurt to do anything else, she curls into a ball on the cheap bed, tears cascading down her face as she plans her revenge.

The next morning, Debra wakes up, smiling when she sees Dexter sleeping peacefully beside her. _This could be every morning._ She thinks with a small grin. She feels stiff in her arms and legs, and stretches herself to full wakefulness, taking up nearly the entire bed and waking Dexter as she does. He groans his displeasure at this early awakening before opening his eyes. As soon as he sees her next to him, he breaks out into an enormous smile.

"Good morning," he says, sleep rapidly vanishing from his voice.

"Same," she replies.

"Breakfast," he asks.

"Sure, what about Harrison?"

"I asked the babysitter to watch him today also, besides, he'll be at preschool most of the day anyway."

"Oh."

He gives her a quick kiss before getting out of bed, demanding she stay put as he gets her some food. She begins to protest, but sees his look and subsides, promising to get back in the bed after she gets a shirt. Compromise in hand, he heads to the kitchen, quickly making himself a bowl of cereal, and scrambling some eggs and making some bacon. He puts the latter items onto a tray with a glass of orange juice, and another of milk that he brings into the bedroom.

As he walks in, he is surprised to see she has stayed in the bed, albeit impatiently. The covers have been pushed down to the foot of the bed, and the pillows have been fluffed up, a space cleared for him as well.

He balances the tray of food in her lap, and she leans up to give him a kiss in thanks. He quickly goes and retrieves his bowl of cereal before settling down next to her, pulling the blankets over their legs. They finish their breakfast before she turns to him, broaching the subject he knew was coming.

"What do we do about Hannah?"

"I don't know, I'll have to find her before anything else."

"You better Dex, she's probably pissed at you for turning her in, and when she finds out about…" she trails off, gesturing between them and the bed.

"I know, as soon as I find her, I'll either have to placate her somehow….or kill her."

"What if she comes forward with what she knows? I mean, you probably told her enough to get her a pretty good fucking deal if she turns you in. How will you handle that?"

"We'll just say she's trying to get a deal and get revenge on us for catching her. They will likely investigate, we may even be arrested and held for awhile, but eventually they'll give up and drop it. There isn't any evidence linking either of us to any crimes, except maybe a speeding ticket…once."

"Because you framed Doakes?"

"I didn't frame Doakes, nor did I kill him. Lila did, and I didn't need to frame him, he had the slides, knives, plastic…I simply let everyone draw their own conclusions."

"And then what?"

"And then I'll find her, and she'll disappear."

"Be careful, where will you start?"

"That orchid, it had to be from her greenhouse."

"She wouldn't be stupid enough to go back there, the police would be sure to look."

"Maybe, maybe not; the police know she isn't dumb enough to return, so they'll probably only look once or twice. Maybe even just look for a light, and after they've looked, everyone will assume she's on the run out of town or out of state. She could just stay there, albeit without power or water."

"You think she's there? Why?"

"The flower, it was a message. I'll go vet the place now, and we'll see, just watch what you eat."

"What about Harrison?"

"He'll be fine, she wouldn't poison a child."

"If you say so."

"I do," he says, reaching for his wallet, "here's some money for the babysitter and some for food, the babysitter will bring him home two hours after his preschool lets out."

"Alright."

He walks to his desk, opening a drawer and removing a thick sealed document envelope before going back into the bedroom. He walks in and moves straight towards the closet, pushing aside some shirts and opening the false breaker box to reveal a safe.

"Holy shit Dex, what are you hiding," says Deb from behind his shoulder, having walked over in her curiosity.

"Nothing yet," he replies, opening the safe to reveal the empty interior, "I'll give you the combination. In case anything happens to me, here's my will," he says, gesturing to the envelope, "as well as other things. I named you as Harrison's care giver if anything-"

"Don't talk like that Dexter," she tells him with a finger on his lips, her bottom lip trembling, eyes watering, and voice shaking, "don't ever say that."

"Sorry, but I thought you should know."

"Fine."

"I'll see you later then; Mathews did give us a week off after all."

"I'll be waiting."

He chuckles softly before throwing her a serious look as he pulled on shoes, "The combination is 08-07-19-92."

"The day your adoption was official?"

"Yes, I wanted something you could remember, but most other people wouldn't know."

"Sounds good, see you later," she says, giving him a small kiss, "I'll be here waiting."

"I know," he mumbles through their kiss before stepping away. He turns back to look at her again, admiring her figure before waving as he closes the door, narrowly missing the belt she threw at him.

He chuckled on his way to his SUV, getting in and starting the engine. He pulls out of his parking space and makes his way to Hannah's old place, taking side streets to avoid traffic lights. He stops his SUV in an abandoned store parking lot three blocks away and continues on foot, gloves, lock picks, and two syringes of M-99 in his pockets.

Once he was within sight of her old house, he checked to make sure no one was looking before quickly ducking into the alley behind the homes. He snuck along the alley until he could see the roof of her greenhouse directly over the fence from him. He looks both ways, and, seeing no one, jumps over the fence in one smooth motion. He crouches in the bushes, cautiously looking for any sign of Hannah. He can tell by the smell that the plants are still alive in the greenhouse and sneaks around to the back. Peeking inside, there is new mulch on the ground and the air is misty. _Someone has definitely been taking care of things here._ There is no sign of her outside, so he slips to the back door of the house, lock picks making short work of his entry. He slips inside, closing the door behind him without a sound.

The house before him is empty. There isn't any furniture, appliances, or even dust. _Maybe I was wrong and she isn't here, then again, it is very clean…maybe… _he decides to investigate further, just in case.

Dexter went through every room on the ground floor, finding nothing, before moving on to the basement. Within the basement, he finds several bags of mulch as well as other gardening supplies, but still no Hannah. He quickly makes his way through the second floor, still finding nothing, but hears a creak from above. He cautiously finds the attic door and pulls it open, reveling light from above. Slowly making his way up the stairs, he pulls out the M-99, prepared for a fight. He peaks into the attic, instantly noting a bed, blankets, small fridge, and portable stove.

He looks around a little more, but sees no Hannah. He decides to wait for her, but his phone begins ringing as he moves to close the attic door. He peaks at the caller ID, becoming alarmed as he realizes it's Deb..

"What is it?" he asks as he answers the phone.

"Dex," she whispers, voice filled with panic, "there's someone here in your apartment with a gun."

"Why didn-"

"He got my gun."

"Where are you?" he asks, worry and alarm filling his voice.

"In your closet, I had to hide in your trunk."

"I'm on my way."

"Please hurry Dex," she pleads.

"I will."

He runs from Hannah's house, closing the doors behind him and swiftly locking the back door. He sprints past the greenhouse and vaults over the fence, running full tilt to his SUV. He reaches it and gets in, but drops the keys in panic as he reaches for the ignition.

"Fuck," he says as he reaches for them. He grabs the correct key and slams it into the ignition, throwing the SUV into gear and driving home as quickly as he can without arousing suspicion. Within heal an hour, he is home, and can see that someone has been in his apartment. He looks closely to see a shadow move behind the windows. Since Deb hasn't called him back, he assumes it is the intruder. He parks and locks the car before sprinting up to his landing. He edges along cautiously, M-99 in hand. He reaches the door and pushes it open silently, peeking in to see no one. His relief is short lived as he hears a loud bang and a scream from his bedroom. Panicked, he rushes in to see a man prying at the trunk in his closet, foolishly having traded his guns for a crowbar. Dexter tries to sneak up on him, but is noticed before he is within reach. The man lets out a cry of surprise, dropping the crowbar to swing a fist at Dexter. He sidesteps easily before rushing the syringe towards the intruder's neck. The man bats it aside at the last instant and goes for his gun.

He is too late, Dexter wraps one strong arm around the man's neck, and uses the other to jab the M-99 into his jugular, lowering his now unconscious body to the floor.

"Deb!" he shouts, voice panicked.

She bursts out of the trunk and notes the unconscious intruder before rushing to envelope Dexter in a bone-crushing hug, gripping him like he just saved her life, which he probably did.

"Is he dead?" she asks.

"No he's not, but I gave him a concentrated dose of M-99, he should be out for about a day."

"Good, we need to tie him up."

He reaches for some duct tape that was in the trunk, and uses it to bind the mystery intruder hand and foot before dumping him unceremoniously into the trunk, locking the latch before shoving it back into the closet with a grunt of effort. He checks for more intruders, and, finding none, shuts and bolts the door while Deb closes the curtains.

As soon as they have privacy, she vaults to him, taking him in a stronger hug than earlier before kissing his lips with a fervor he hadn't seen from her.

"Shit Dex, I thought he was gonna get me for a minute there. Who the fuck is he?"

"I don't know, we'll have to wait for him to wake up before we get any answers."

A/N Beginning of a small lemon.

She simply nods before kissing him again, this time with more passion. The passion of a few nights before returns full force as she molds her body to his, arms around his neck and fingers trailing through his hair. He reciprocates, forcing himself forward to gain a deeper kiss, hands trailing around her sides to rest in the small of her back.

This time, she takes the lead, backing him against the wall next to the bed and grinding her hips against his furiously. They break apart as they each take off their shirt; she also removes her bra in one yank, baring her breasts for him. He is only too eager to sate her desire as he takes one in his hand, kneading the orb and pinching her nipple, earning a sigh and moan of pleasure.

She breaks their kiss, standing on her toes to lean forward and whisper "Now," into his ear huskily. He needs no more encouragement as they kick off their shoes and socks and return to their kiss. Suddenly, he thrusts an arm behind her knees and scoops her up. As she gasps in surprise, he deposits her on his bed. She wastes no time waiting for him, hands instantly flying downward to undo her belt. She peels off her jeans and panties with one yank. He grabs them before they reach mid-thigh, slowly pulling them all the way down, kissing every inch of her as it is revealed.

He eyes her entrance for a moment before leaning forward. As his tongue reaches her, he finds her already wet. He gently licks her folds once before driving it inside, getting a strong reaction from her. He does not take long before he moves on to her clit, earning a scream as she instantly climaxes. Before he can continue his efforts, she takes a fistful of his hair, forcefully pulling his head up and slamming their lips together.

She moans with her pleasure and need, hands reaching down to expertly undo his belt. He moves to help her, undoing his pants and kicking them off, revealing himself to her for the first time. She gasps as she sees him, but is swiftly distracted by his lips under her ear. She sighs in ecstasy as she wraps her legs tightly around his hips, pulling him down towards her center. He understands her intent and positions himself, the tip just touching when he stops.

"Are you sure?" he asks tentatively.

She doesn't answer, instead forcing another kiss. He takes her action as a yes and begins slowly pushing himself further. She can't take it and surges against him, taking all of him at once. She screams with pleasure as he grunts. He cannot think any longer, mind now guided by pure instinct as he feels himself enveloped in warm wet tightness. He uses all of his self-control to be slow and gentle, but she has other plans, furiously bucking up into him, forcing him to increase his speed and force.

They set a furious pace, each demanding more from the other. He feels her climax underneath him first with a scream, her core muscles contracting around him as she writhes uncontrollably, nails digging into his back. His own pleasure hits him at almost the exact same time, and he takes her mouth in a kiss, gazing deep into her eyes as he feels himself let go inside her core.

Neither moves, he rests above her, weight on his arms as their bodies return to normal. He looks at her again, seeing her eyes full of lust and love. He is struck by how beautiful she is before he rolls off to allow her rest, sliding out of her with a soft wet sound.

Finally, their heart rates and breathing slow as she tucks herself against him, kissing his neck before whispering "That was amazing."

"Yes, it was, "is all he can say. He can't find better words to describe it.

They lay together, each looking at the other before they both say "I love you," at the same time.

"We ought to do something about…" he says gesturing in the direction of the closet.

"Later," she says before rising up and straddling his hips, intent on getting more of him.

Ending A/N:

I hope I did a good job with the lemon and didn't overdo it. It was 710 words and my first lemon, so try not to be too critical of it. After that intruder, whom you will meet in the next chapter, nearly got Deb, she was terrified, and he was terrified of nearly losing her, so they kind of let it happen. I wonder what complications will come out of this…maybe material for later chapters.

I'm still looking for a beta reader, so if you are interested, Please Message me.

I would appreciate any input anyone has. Please R&R.

Thanks as always,

_** Debster'sDarkPassenger.**_


	5. Chapter 5

A New Beginning or the Beginning of the End?

By Debster'sDarkPassenger

Beginning A/N:

I just want to say I appreciate all the feedback. I'm sorry this chapter took a little longer than the others, but I've been trying to act on the feedback. I will be doing fewer and less explanatory Author's Notes in the future. Be prepared for a lot of action in the next two or three chapters. Please read and review, thanks.

Chapter 5: Close Calls

The sun rose over Miami. Slowly rising from the sea, it's light cresting the hotels and skyscrapers near the waterfront. As the sunlight began to stream through the windows of Dexter's apartment, it's light passed through one gap in the curtains, casting it's glare directly onto his eyes, causing him to wake with a start.

As he did, he felt someone stir next to him; heard her voice mumble with her private dreams as she snuggled closer to his warmth. He looked down to see Debra lying next to him, head on his chest, one arm thrown across him. He began to think of how beautiful she was, but the memories of last night came rushing back into his head, causing him to smile with joy.

Last night, they had reached a new place in their relationship. A new connection that only they would share. He simply lies in bed, trying to keep his breathing even so as not to disturb the sleeping woman next to him. He knew it couldn't last long, however, as the memory of the intruder resurfaced. He dimly remembered locking him in the trunk in his closet before…he blushed furiously. _Am I really blushing?_ He thought in disbelief. His whole life, he had faked emotions that he never truly felt or understood, but now…now he didn't have to fake. Now his emotions were real, not imagined within his mind. Now, he knew he didn't have to fake emotions, although he would never know how to express them well. _ But then again, I'm not sure anyone KNOWS how to express emotions, _he thought idly, _no one knows how, they just do._

He looked toward the alarm clock on the table beside his bed, shocked to see that it was already Nine in the morning. He looked back to Deb and sighed before gently shaking her awake.

"Five more minutes," she said blearily as she lifted one arm to bat him away.

He persisted, finally managing to wake her up. She looked up at him, anger in her eyes at being woken. After only a moment, her face softened.

"Fuck Dex, I can't stay mad at you," she whispered as she brought her arms above her head to stretch. She groaned and looked down at herself, wandering why she was so sore. Her eyes widened as she saw their entwined bodies. When she realized they were both naked, she gasped, the memories of the night before returning.

"What?' he asked quietly.

"Did we?"

"Yes."

She just looks at him, her eyes searching his. She seemed to find what she was looking for as she raised herself up to kiss his lips. Suddenly, the passion from the night before returned full force as she drew herself up, straddling his hips, her mouth plundering his.

Half an hour later, they lay resting again, before Deb breaks the silence.

"Should we be doing this?" she asks gesturing downward.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, it just feels so…" she stopped, searching for the words before continuing, "right. Too right."

"I don't see what you mean."

"I don't know what I mean."

"What's done is done, we can't change it now."

"I know, it's just…what will people think?"

"Who cares?"

"I guess you're right, but let's just keep this quiet…for now."

"Alright, we can do that," he says as he reaches for his phone, "what do you want to do about the guy that broke in last night?"

She looked at him blankly for a moment before comprehension flooded her features, "Shit, I forgot about him. I don't know. I bet that fucker got an earful last night."

"No, he's locked in the trunk in the closet, out cold."

"Still, we're gonna have to kill him aren't we?"

"After we find out what he was doing, yes."

"Well, I need to go, let me know when he wakes up, I want to be there when he starts talking."

"Deb, I don't want you to see-"

"He came after me too, and I want to hear what he says."

"Really, I think-"

"I love you, but you're still a fucking tard, call me when he wakes up."

"I will."

"Good, I'll get a shower before I go to work."

"We've still got a few days off, remember?"

"Whatever."

He chuckled as she went to take a shower. He checked his phone for missed calls, and, finding none, decided to call Quinn and see how the investigation was going.

Joey Quinn was sitting in his car at the parking garage where he was supposed to meet the hit man he had hired, the man said he was going to do the job last night and meet this morning, but so far was a no show.

He had hated himself for doing this at first, but the Koshka brotherhood had wanted him to eliminate Dexter Morgan, the man they thought was responsible for the deaths of Isaac, Jurg, Joseph, and two of their hit men several months before. He had wanted to refuse, but was surrounded by them. They had wanted his blood for killing the strip-club owner who ran drugs for them, but offered him this deal instead, and he had accepted.

That was before he had realized that Dexter and Debra were getting together. They were siblings after all. Just thinking about it made him sick. So he had decided they both needed to go. He was about to leave when his phone rang. He looked at the ID and saw Dexter's name flashing on the screen. He didn't answer. Somehow, he knew the hit man had failed. He waited until the phone stopped ringing before making a call to some other's he knew. Some who owed him favors from his narcotics days. Hopefully they could get the job done.

Quinn didn't answer, so Dexter assumed he was asleep or busy. He heard the door open and looked up to see Deb coming from the shower, dressed in her usual clean attire, but walking funny. He couldn't help but let out a small chuckle which he quickly hid.

"Deb, it'll be awhile before that guy wakes up. Until we find out who sent him, I'd like you to take Harrison up to Orlando to stay with his grandparents."

"If you think you can play the 'get Harrison out of danger' card to get rid of me…"

"You can come back, I just want Harrison safe."

"Alright, didn't you leave him with a babysitter?"

"Yes, you'll have to pick him up, I'll give you some money to pay the sitter with, and call Rita's parents."

He fished his wallet out of his pants on the floor, counting out two hundred dollars before handing to Deb.

"I'll call you when he wakes up," he assured her.

"You'd fucking better."

He chuckled as she grabbed her keys and left the apartment before dialing the number for Rita's parents. He told them Harrison wanted to see Astor and Cody and they said that it was okay and shot down his attempts to offer to pay them. As he hung up the phone, he made a mental note to "forget" some money in their house anyway. He texted the babysitter, letting her know Deb was on the way to pick up Harrison and pay her before getting up and going to the still steaming shower.

Half an hour later, Quinn was on his way into the station. He texted Jaime that he would be at work for the day, and she said she would see him later. He remembered the conversation he had had with the new hit men. This time, he wouldn't pay until after the job was done, having learned his lesson. Surprisingly, they said they could take care of it today.

His thoughts were interrupted as he went into the station. It was going to be a really long day, the captain as well as both Morgans dead in a matter of days was going to send the department into overdrive.

Deb picked up Harrison from the sitter, paying her before strapping him in her car.

"Where are we going Aunty Deb?"

"Up to Orlando to visit Astor and Cody."

"Are you gonna visit too?"

"No kiddo, I'm just gonna drop you off, then I need to come back."

"Will daddy be there?"

"Sorry Harrison, but daddy has stuff he needs to do."

"Okay," he sighed, eyes downcast.

"I'll pick you up some ice cream on the way."

His face lit up as he shouted "YAAAAY!"

They drove to Harrison's favorite ice cream place behind a garbage truck. _Ugh that stinks_ she thought. They passed through an intersection, the truck stopping just beyond as the driver disembarked to grab a can, leaving her stuck in the intersection. She shifted into reverse and began to back up, only to be stopped by another garbage truck. She honked the horn, earning the finger from the driver. She didn't have room to turn her car out from between the two trucks, so she turned to Harrison, not noticing the third truck approaching from the side, not slowing down.

"Looks like we'll be awh-"the words were jolted from her mouth as the third truck rammed her car, causing it to begin to flip and roll. Luckily, her bumper hit a parked car, causing the car's roll to take it out of the path of the truck, which hadn't stopped.

She barely registered the truck down the road, turning to ram her again. Frantically, she undid her seatbelt and turned to unstrap Harrison. As she saw him, her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. He was suspended upside down by the seatbelt, blood dripping from his head from a small cut on his forehead. She quickly climbed into the back, pulling out a small knife from the center console and cutting the seatbelt. She kicked out the window and rushed out of the car, holding Harrison's unconscious form. No sooner did she make it out than the truck rammed her car again, squashing it into a pancake.

She had no time to think as the drivers from the first and second trucks as well as the third got out, guns in hand. They were joined by a group that got out of an SUV. One of them fired off several shots, sending the onlookers scattering in a screaming mass of confusion. They were coming from all directions, so she ducked into an alleyway, running as fast as she could while holding Harrison. The six gunmen followed, wildly shooting as they ran, their pistol bullets whizzing by her head or hitting the ground around her feet. She turned down a side alley, then another, but not fast enough for her twists and turns to elude the pursuit. She could hear sirens blaring somewhere ahead and wildly raced towards them.

Sometime amidst the chaos, Harrison woke up, confused at what was happening, but as a bullet grazed his leg, he began screaming loudly. His screams brought tears to Deb's eyes and fueled her strength. She began to run faster, the sirens now closer. She started to pull ahead of the gunmen and began hoping she might make it. Her wishes were short lived as she ran into a dead end. She turned to run back to the last intersection, but was stopped when she saw the gunmen blocking her way, smiling that they had her cornered. She turned as they raised their guns, curling slightly to shield Harrison with her body, desperately willing the bullets to not pass through her. She closed her eyes, tears streaming. One gunshot went off and the bullet took her in the shoulder. She knew she had no chance and simply stood shielding the small child, her thoughts fixed on the boy in her arms, and the man she would never see again.

She heard several more shots and tensed, expecting the bullets to tear into her flesh. None did. After a moment, she risked a glance behind her to see several officers approaching cautiously, the gunmen dead at their feet. She turned fully, letting them see the badge somehow miraculously still on her belt and sobbed with relief when they lowered their weapons. She held Harrison tightly despite the pain in her shoulder and showered him with kisses as the uniformed officers reached them. One officer radioed in their location as the others rushed them to a waiting ambulance.

As they were hustled in, she refused to let go of Harrison. The EMT understood and treated his cut, a minor, shallow injury that required only a bandage, as they rocketed towards the hospital. He left the injury from the grazed bullet to the doctor's at the hospital. Her injury however, was another story. She would not let go of Harrison, so he contented himself with giving her a shot of morphine and applying some type of powder to the wound before strapping a gauze pad to it to stop the bleeding.

"Do you have anyone we can call?" he asked.

"Call my brother, Dexter Morgan; he works for Miami Metro also." She gave him the number.

"I'll have him meet us at the hospital lieutenant."

Dexter got out of the shower and got dressed, ready to shove the unconscious intruder into the back of his SUV when the phone rang. He scooped it up, thinking it was either Deb or Quinn calling back, but was disappointed to see an unknown number. He answered it quickly.

"Hello."

"Mr. Morgan?"

"Yes."

"This is Jim; I'm an EMT for Miami Central Hospital."

"Is everything alright." He asked, anxiety beginning to enter his voice.

"I'm afraid not, it seems your sister and her son were involved in an incident."

"What happened," he asked, too panicked to correct the EMT.

"It appears they were rammed by a group of garbage trucks then pursued by armed assailants."

"Are they okay?"

"For the most part, the boy has a small cut and a bullet grazed his leg, your sister has a gunshot wound to the shoulder. They both have minor scrapes, bruises, contusions, abrasions, and lacerations," he replied, overly using his vocabulary.

"Can you put her on the phone?"

The EMT doesn't respond, instead Deb's voice blares from his phone, her sobs causing his heart to lurch.

"Shit Dex! I don't know what happened, I picked Harrison up and we were gonna go get some ice cream and we were behind a truck and another truck was behind us and we were trapped in an intersection and another truck hit us and we got out and they started chasing us and they had guns and were shooting and and and…" she broke off, her sobs overwhelming her words.

"Ok ok, slow down, where are you?"

"I…In the back of an ambulance, going t…t…to Miami c…c…central I think."

"I'm on my way."

"I love you."

"I love you too, I'll find out who did this."

"Well hurry up; meet us at the hospital first fuckhead."

She hung up. _Fuckhead? That's a new one._ He grabbed his keys and rushed to his SUV, locking the door behind him. He threw it into gear and began speeding to the hospital, not caring if he was pulled over. Whoever did this was going to pay. They went after his son, and they went after Debra, and now they were going to pay. For now, he was going to make sure Debra and Harrison were okay. For now, that would have to be enough.

He drove to the hospital as fast as he could, mind lost in a haze of rage, suppressed, for the moment, by worry and concern. The EMT had assured him that Deb and Harrison were going to be okay, but he wanted to see for himself. Wanted to see how they had been hurt so that he could inflict the same pain on the people responsible.

Dexter looked up to check his rearview and was shocked to see Harry sitting in the back seat, regarding him with a thoughtful expression.

"What?" he snapped.

"You need to calm down son," he said, "you'll do something stupid, get caught."

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does, if you get caught, you'll take Deb down with you. Harrison will grow up without a father. Can you do that to them? They're depending on your control. You can't let your emotions get out of hand."

"I know," he snapped irritably.

"No son, you don't," he replied calmly, "You are not used to these kinds of emotions, or any emotions for that matter."

"What do you know? Besides, my anger will save them."

"This time Dexter, maybe, but not yet. Right now, you need to get to Deb and your son, safely. They need you strong and calm, you can deal with the rest after."

"I- you're right."

"I suppose this means you won't stop killing for awhile more?"

"Yes."

Detective Joey Quinn sat at his desk, going through the files on LaGuerta's death; checking to ensure that everything was accurate as he awaited word that his contacts had done the job properly. Seeing everything in order, he had just fixed his signature on the file when he heard bustling around his desk. He looked up to see several unis bustling from Captain Mathew's office, rushing to the doors followed by the captain himself.

"What's going on?" he asked, catching Mathew's eye.

"It's Deb, she was in a car accident then shot."

"Is she OK?"

"We think so, she was on her way to Miami Central last we heard."

"I'm on my way," he replied, cursing under his breath as he turned to grab his jacket.

Dexter's SUV skidded to a stop in front of the ER doors of Miami Central, bolting towards the doors. As he neared the doors, he was intercepted by Captain Mathew's, Quinn, and several uniformed officers.

One of the officers went and held the door as the Captain grabbed Dexter's arm, concern etched on his face.

"Dex! What happened?"

"I don't know yet, I haven't been to see her."

"The doctor's said she should be fine. They're right Dexter, she will be fine," he said in an attempt to console him.

"I know, she'll be fine, she has to be."

"She was always a fighter," Mathew's agreed, "She'll pull through this."

"She had Harrison; she was taking him to Orlando to see his siblings. The EMT on the phone said a bullet grazed him," he said, emotion choking his voice.

"Oh god, I'm sorry Dexter. He'll be OK too, you see," Mathew's said, his voice full of sympathy.

"Who did it?"

"We don't know yet," Quinn Interjected, "the officers on scene said they shot the gunmen before they got a second shot, but don't know who yet. They'll pull through Dex, I know it."

"Thanks Quinn, let's go see a doctor."

They caught a passing nurse and pressed her into service. As they asked her where Debra was, she grew flustered and it was obvious she was new. Thankfully, a doctor walking by relieved the young woman and led them to the nearest reception desk where he commandeered the computer. He quickly looked up the information before turning back to them.

"Mrs. Morgan is in surgery, I'll go speak to the surgeon for an update. Your son is in a room nearby, the report here says he's shaken up and has some minor injuries but will be alright, this way," he said before briskly leading them to an elevator, up three floors, down several hallways and up a short flight of stairs before stopping at a room.

"Your son is in here," he said as he opened the door, "I'll go see about your sister."

He began walking down the hall and Mathew's turned to Dexter, "We'll wait out here. And I'll put some officers on Deb's door," he said as he waved three officers to follow the doctor, and they followed quickly, hands on their weapons, attitudes watchful.

Dexter nodded before stepping in his son's hospital room. As soon as he entered the room, Harrison saw him and hopped from the bed.

"DAAAAADDDDYYYYY!" he wailed as he rushed up to Dexter, who gathered him into a hug. He was sobbing now, and Dexter could tell he was trying to say what happened, but the words were lost amongst the sobs and the rush to get it all out. "Bad men….Aunty Deb…Hurt…" though his words were halting and interrupted, Dexter caught their meaning, his rage only intensifying, but suppressed for now.

"It's OK buddy," he intoned soothingly, hand patting his son's back, "the bad men are gone, shhhhhhhh."

"Where's Aunty Deb," Harrison asked after his sobs subsided, "is Aunty Deb gonna be OK?"

"Yes buddy, the doctor's are going to make sure she's alright."

"Can we go see her daddy?"

"We can go ask."

He turned and opened the door, his son securely in his arms. As he began to walk down the hall in the direction the doctor had went, a nurse saw him and began to move to protest. Captain Mathew's sent the last officer to deter her as they continued on. As they came to an intersection, Dexter had no idea which way to go until he saw the doctor beckoning from the end of a side hall. He quickly caught up to the doctor before following him to Deb's room, the doctor filling him in on the way.

"Your sister is out of surgery and into recovery, the surgeon says she should be fine, but they want to keep her for observation tonight just to be sure. She's in there," he said gesturing to a room, "good wishes."

He turned away and began walking towards his own section of the hospital as Dexter turned to go inside, leaving Harrison with Captain Mathew's, Quinn, and the officers outside the door for the moment. The surgeon was performing some post-surgery checks when he entered, and Deb was asleep. The surgeon looked up at the door's opening and smiled as he saw Dexter.

"Mr. Morgan, your sister should be okay, the bullet impacted her shoulder and ricocheted off her shoulder blade close to the original entry wound. We were able to treat the wound with minimum suturing and there was no bone damage as far as we can tell. We had wanted to keep her overnight for observation, but based on my observations now, she should be able to go home today."

"Really?" he asked; disbelief in his voice.

"Yes, of course. In fact, the anesthesia should be wearing off any minute-"he broke off as a groan came from the bed accompanied by a slight rustling of the sheets, "-now."

They both looked and, sure enough, Debra was waking up, her eyes opening slowly to take them in before closing lazily again.

"Where the fuck am I?" she asked through a yawn.

"You don't remember?" Dexter asked with concern.

She shook her head, but the doctor interjected, "That's just the anesthetic, one of it's side effects is temporary amnesia, she'll be fine in a few minutes." He moved to her and took her vitals before smiling, "I'll go fill out the release forms," he said as he shuffled out, leaving them alone. As the doctor closed the door, Dexter looked out to see him blocked by Mathew's and Quinn. _Those forms may be awhile._

He turned back to Deb, now more alert, before moving to lock the door. Once he did so, he rushed back to the bed, enveloping her in a hug, but carefully avoiding her injured shoulder. She began to sob into his shoulder, the memories clearly returning, but he buried her lips with his. Her sobs continued for a moment before she surrendered, passion building before he broke away.

"Dex I-"

"You and Harrison are OK, that's all that matters right now."

She couldn't answer, she had no answer. She knew he was right and paused before speaking again.

"Twice in twenty-four hours Dex, and this time Harrison almost got hurt. What's going on?"

"I don't know. I'll get to the bottom of it."

"Could it be new years eve?"

"No, there were no witnesses, I made sure."

"What about Hannah?"

"Not her either. From what Mathew's said, these guys sound like they were hired, and probably the one we have locked up too."

"Someone hired these guys? Who the fuck would want to…" she trailed off.

"What happened?"

At this, she began to sob again, choking on the words as she tried to force them out.

"I got Harrison from the sitter and we were going to stop for ice cream, and I was behind a garbage truck. It went through an intersection and stopped just past. I was going to back up, but another was behind so we were stuck in the intersection."

"Why didn't you just turn?"

"There wasn't room, besides, I didn't think anything of it, I assumed there were cars behind the one behind us, the first was grabbing a can, and the light for the other road was red."

"Then what?"

"I turned around to tell Harrison it looked like we'd be awhile, but a third truck hit us. We started rolling and somehow flipped out of the way. I saw the truck turning around and turned to get Harrison out of the-"she stopped, her chest heaving with sobs. She couldn't continue for a few minutes and Dexter waited it out. After her sobs subsided, she continued.

"I turned and cut his belt. We got out right as the truck hit again. Then the drivers got out and they had guns. An SUV pulled up too and more guys with guns got out. They were coming from all directions except the back, so I turned into an alley. I ran and ran, but they followed and were shooting and Harrison woke up when they-"her voice broke as her sobs started again. He rushed forward and held her as the tears wracked her body again, every sound adding to his fury.

"Sorry," she said when she regained control again.

"You shouldn't be sorry, they should. What else happened?"

"Harrison started wailing, I thought he'd been hit and started to run faster. I could hear sirens and ran toward them. I started to outrun them, but ran into a dead end," she fell silent for a moment before continuing, "I couldn't get back out, so I tried to shield Harrison. They shot once," she gestured to her shoulder, "I heard more shots, but when none hit me, I looked and saw some officers had killed them. The rest is obvious," she said referring to the ambulance and hospital.

They were silent for a moment. Dexter looked back at the door then back at Deb before leaning forward. She understood his intent and caught him in a deep kiss before resting her forehead against his.

"I thought I'd never see you again," she breathed, breath mingling with his, "I thought I couldn't protect Harrison. I thou-" he interrupted her with another kiss before breaking away.

"But you did, we're here now. I'll get to the bottom of this, I promise, just let me deal with it for now."

"Fine, just make sure you take care of it soon."

"I will."

She captured him in another kiss before they had to let the others in.

"I love you," she whispered, breathless.

"I love you too," he replied, "Now, there's someone who wants to see you."

He went to the door and unlocked it, sticking his head out to see Mathew's and the officer's watching Harrison. Quinn was down the hall getting a statement from the surgeon. He smiled at Mathew's before beckoning Harrison inside. As he walked in, he whispered into Harrison's ear, "Be careful with Aunt Deb's shoulder," to which Harrison nodded.

He looked around and saw Debra on the hospital bed and immediately ran to her. "AUNTY DEB! You're ok!" he exclaimed has he climbed up the bed to give her a hug around her waist. He buried his head in her midsection as she patted his back soothingly.

"I'll see you at home."

"You're leaving?"

He nodded, pointing at his watch and mouthing, "The guy will wake up soon."

She gave one nod of understanding before turning her attention back to Harrison.

"I'll send Mathew's in, and call Harrison's grandparents to let them know."

"Ok Dex, see you in a few hours."

As he stepped out, he waved Mathew's inside before closing the door. He called Harrison's grandparents as he strode from the building. They were shocked at his news, but agreed to watch him for a couple of days while this all got sorted out. He stepped back out of the ER doors to find an officer was watching his SUV. He silently thanked Mathew's for his thought and told the officer where the captain was before driving home.

Once he reached his apartment, he checked the intruder from the night before to find him still out cold. He relocked the trunk and hustled it into the back of his SUV. Then he grabbed his knives, kill suit, several rolls of plastic, and a spare change of clothes. He locked his apartment and climbed back into his vehicle, shifting into gear and pulling away. He needed an out of town kill room, and thought he knew just the place.

Ending A/N:

Sorry this chapter took so long, school has kept me busy. Hope you like it. Quinn sure has been up to mischief and Hannah won't be too far behind now. As always, please read and review. I'm still in the market for a beta reader if anyone wants to give it a go.

Thanks,

Debster'sDarkPassenger.


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